The Linnean Society of London's primary role in plant collection lies in its
stewardship of the original library, manuscripts, and biological specimen collections of Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778), the "father of modern taxonomy".
Key Roles in Plant Collection:
Preservation of Historic Collections: The Society was founded in 1788 by Sir James Edward Smith specifically to preserve Linnaeus's invaluable collections, which he had acquired in 1784. The Society maintains these collections in their original state, which is rare for a personal herbarium of such historical importance.
The Linnaean Herbarium: This collection contains over 14,000 pressed and dried plant specimens, many of which pre-date Linnaeus's seminal work Species Plantarum(1753). This herbarium is a critical resource for botanical study because it includes over 4,000 type specimens—the actual physical examples used to anchor and permanently define specific scientific names.
A Reference for Taxonomy: The collections serve as an unsurpassed, primary reference resource for the study of taxonomy and support scientific work on global biodiversity. Researchers from around the world consult these specimens to confirm the identity of species according to Linnaean nomenclature.
Historical Documentation: In addition to the physical specimens, the Society holds extensive manuscripts and correspondence from Linnaeus and other naturalists of the time. These documents provide crucial context about where, when, and by whom the plants were collected during a period of intense global exploration.
The Linnean Society does not actively collect new plants on a large scale today in the same way historical expeditions did, but it acts as a vital custodian and research hub for the foundational botanical collections that underpin much of modern plant science.